Method for mechanically simulating genuine oil paintings



' form characteristic.

Patented July 6, 1948 UNITED METHOD FOR MECHANICALLY SIMULAT- ING GENUINE OIL PAINTINGS Isidor Tornberg, Plainfield, N. J., assignor to Dadson Enterprises, Inc., New York, N. Y., a corporation of New Jersey Serial No. 602,151

No Drawing. Application June 28, 1945,

4 Claims.

The present invention relates to a method and a process b means of which a design, picture or print having the appearance in all respects of a hand painting may be produced mechanically at a high rate of speed and in an ineXpensive manner.

More particularly, the invention relates to a method and a process by means of which a previously printed design, picture or print may be formed with a raised surface to impart thereto the characteristics of the raised surface which a painter normally produces through the use of a brush, finger, palette knife, or any other technique generally employed in the individual execution of oil paintings.

This method or process does not concern itself in any way "with the printing of the copy of the subject matter which is to be treated in accordance with the process disclosed herein. In fact, the process does not require any color, pigment, or dye to produce the desired result. The material employed in this process is, of necessity, both colorless and transparent. It concerns itself solely with enhancing the artistic properties of a finished picture usually printed in several colors by any of the well known methods, such as lithography, gravure, or letterpress which, although it is otherwise a satisfactory facsimile of the artists original painting, does not possess the raised surface characteristics of the latter. The proposed method or process produces an enhancement of the print by adding thereto, and in register therewith, the configuration of both lines, surfaces, and the manifold shades of tones found in the original hand painting. It may also simulate on the background the effect of the canvas texture upon which oil paintings are usually produced.

Yet another object of this invention is to provide a convenient and eifective'method by means of which this process may be applied to previously printed matter carried not only by individual sheets or cards, but by an endless web of paper or other material as it passes between the printing press on which the initial colors are printed, and the folder, rewinder, or sheet cutter, such as in the case of producing newspapers, magazines or books.

At the outset it is to be noted that existing methods have utilized the coating of a previously printed impression in order to'protect the same or to impart to the entire surface thereof a uni- It is also noted that simulated oil paintings have been produced by subjecting a previously printed picture printed on a-' sheet or card to pressure between a male and female die designed to impress the desired configurations thereon. This is an embossing method which, in addition to an expensive set of dies, requires the use of a powerful and costly moulding press, because the pictures are usually printed on heavy paper, such as cardboard, and are of a fairly large size. It is obvious that this type of embossing cannotbe done on a swiftly and constantly moving web. Furthermore, in view of the fact that embossing produces a design on both sides of the material, it could not be used in connection with products such as newspapers, magazines, or books which are printed on both sides of the sheet or web, neither side bearing any relation to the other. 7

It is also to be noted that a certain type of raised printing is now being done on business cards or greeting cards. In these cases, it is intended to produce the effect of engraving or for purely decorative purposes. This, however, is merely a printing process wherein an ink containing the desired color, pigment, or dye is first printed on the card or sheet by a plate carrying the desired letters or design, and while still wet, a powdered gum is then sprinkled over its surface. Some of this powder adheres to the area covered by the freshly printed ink, while the remainder is shaken off or removed by vacuum. The card or sheet is then introduced into a heated oven Where the gum adhering to the wet ink melts and, upon emerging from the oven, subsequently dries and solidifies, and produces words or designs in raised form. It is obvious that by this means it would be impossible to print more than one color on a given surface, as subsequent printings would be hampered by the preceding application of the raised lines. I

In accordance with the present invention, the print or picture which is to be enhanced in value by forming certain portions of its surface with raised areas is used as a pattern from which a tracing is first made on a transparent material. This tracing'may contain all of the lines, tones, shadows, dots, canvas texture and other characteristics which it is desired to produce in raised form on the finished picture to give it the desired third dimension. The height to'which this dimension is to be raised may be varied by'the width or thickness of the lines drawn on the transparency. For example, if the print is of flowers in a vase, the leaves and stems may be traced lightly or heavily in accordance with their prominence; the flowers may be given various shadings in the form ofdots or hair lines; the

where it instantly dries and solidifies into raised, colorless and transparent lines, etc., and thereby produces the desired result. 7

In applying this invention to individual sheets or cards, the compound is applied by a flat plate in what is known as a job press. The application of' the dust or powder and its subsequent melting islikewise done in equipment through which the sheets travel longitudinally on a moving belt at a suitable speed. However, in applying this invention to a continuously moving web of press available through which the previously printed sheet or web is then fed. Thus the materials used in this process maybe applied by a" planographic surface, as in lithography; by an intaglio surface, in which the pockets or indentations formed therein vary in area or depthborboth, to apply the desired amount of material'to the proper area of the print; or by a relief printing surface in which the desired raised areas are formed by lines or half-tone dots of various sizes and spacing, usually produced by screens well known to the photo-engraving art. The particular steps by which these surfaces are formed constitute nopart 'of the present invention and, therefore, need not be described in greater'detail herein. It is suflicient to observe that the re- 'sulting impression surfacewill provide a means fora'p'plyinga suitable material to the previously printed surface of the picture or print in" exact re'gi'ste'r withthe portionsof such surfaces which are tube raised.

The impression surface above referred to is usedj'in the present method by'applying thereto, in any well known manner, a suitable compound of a transparent nature, so that, upon impressing such printing surface in register upon the previously 'printedsubject', the compound is transferredto' and appliedupon" the previously printed subject; Upon further treatment, as explained hereinafter, this compound will outline the areas which are to be given'the raisedsurfaces, thus greatly'enhancing' the artistic value ofthe previouslyprinted subject by giving the third dimension produced bya painters brush and other surface-characteristics of the original oil painting.

One way-of practicing theforegoing invention i's'by-utilizing a compoundbeing in the natureof a'm'ucil'agin'ous liquid, as, for example, a-mixt'ure of glyceri'ne and watenwhich is colorless and transparent, as the substance applied to the sur-- fa'ce'of'the print. Immediately thereafter; this surface receives all over it a covering'of finely powdered dry: and colorless gum, rosin-varnish, orsheli'ac which is dusted or otherwise-- applied thereto by well known-means not covered by thisinvention. The particles of powder or dust which come in contact with the still mucilaginous compoundpreviously applied by the impression plate adhere to the areas so treated, while the remainder or the powder or dust is thereupon shakenpff or sucked up byvacuum' means and returnedIt'o the hopper. The amount of dust or powder remaining on the surface of the print is of? course determined by, the 'char'acter'of the configurations determined by the wet compound,

thereby? controlling. the. width. and height of the raised? surfaces.

Immediately after the surplus dust. orpowder is removed from the. print,- it. is. brought'into.

spacadt is expos'ed-to the normal atmosphere.-

mate'riazl the compound is applied by a curved surface, such as a cylinder or a curved plate fasten'e'd tofla cylinder of suitable diameter, driven byandattfached to the printing press used to print the original design in multi-color. The dusting and removal of the powder is applied to the web immediately thereafter, and the web is then. led around a cylinder heated by steam, hot water, or electricity in a manner well known to the art of printing and drying of webs. By performingb'oth the original printing of the copy and the subsequent application of the raised surfaces inthesame' equipment at the same time, perfect register and high production is assured.

It is, therefore, noteworthy that the method of the present invention is particularly useful in the manufacture of printed-material by means of webprinting operations. For example, after a web has been printed in the desired number of colors to produce the final printed impression, it passes from the final printing unit into the surprintin'g unit in which the surprinted design is formed on a curvedsurf'ace', and the compound is applied tothe Web "in' register with the previously printed impressions; Fr m the surprinting unit'the web is l'ed directly to the finishing unit 'wheref thepowdercd material is applied to the web; The surplus is removed, and the inaterial is moltenand solidified as described above, after which the Web is led. directly tothe usual web handlingfapparatus in accordance with modern practice, such 'as, for example, folding; cutting; and other delivery apparatus.

Alternatively, the coating material applied to the previously printed subject-may be formed directlyby' the gum, rosin,'varnish, or shellac and without the mucilaginous liquid. This could be accor'npli'shed, 'for example, by maintaining. the material in a,- molten condition as by the use of heat, and; then permitting. it. to solidify upon cooling. The material could also be applied in solution sothatit will adhereby virtue of its own properties and, upon the evaporation of the sol- ,vent, permit. the resulting surface to beformed I in the manner above described.

While the invention. has been described with reference to the specific method hereinabove mentioned, it is not to be liimted save as defined in the ppendedclaims'.

1. The method ofenhancing the appearance of previously printed matter, comprising surprinting asubstantially transparent'adhesive in liquid. form uponthe previously printed design over certain portions only thereof; applying a fusible,.'resinous powder to the adhesive removing excessp'owder, and solidifyingthe adhesive and powder, whereby such portionswill be formed withraised transparentsurfaces.

2} The method of enhancing the appearance of matter printed-upon" a Web, comprising. continuously printing adesig-n upon-a web, surprinting upon said design a.- pattern or substantially transparent adhesiveover certain portions only thereof while the web is continuously moving, applying a fusible, resinous powder to the portions of the web containing the adhesive, removing excess powder from the web, and solidifying the substance whereby such portions of the web will be formed with raised portions.

3. The method of enhancing the appearance of previously printed matter comprising surprinting upon said printed matter a pattern of transparent adhesive in liquid form only on preselected portions of said printed matter to achieve a desired change in appearance, applying a, fusible, resinous powder to the adhesive, and solidifying the said adhesive and powder in situ to form a raised transparent surface on the selected portions of the printed matter.

4. The method of imparting a three-dimensional appearance to a previously printed design which comprises surprinting upon at least a portion of said design a pattern of transparent adhesive, applying a fusible, resinous powder to said adhesive, and solidifying the said adhesive and powder in situ to form a raised transparent surface corresponding to the pattern printed upon said design.

ISIDOR TORNBERG. 

